Humboldt penguins are generally found off the coast of Peru Credit: Flamingo Land

Zoo keepers at Flamingo Land near Pickering have welcomed the first of a new batch of penguin chicks to the theme park.
Staff will look after the chicks alongside their penguin parents until they are fully fledged.

We keep a close eye on our penguin chicks to ensure they are gaining weight and growing as we would expect.

Each day the chicks are weighed and their growth and vital statistics plotted to ensure they flourish."

– Ross Snipp, zoo manager

Humboldt penguins, which are categorised as vulnerable, are found in the southern hemisphere of the world, generally off the coasts of Peru and Chile.

Police are appealing for help in finding an elderly walker who has been missing for three days.

Stephen Gibson, who is 73 and from Malton, was last seen on Wednesday when he was separated from his group during thick fog on the North Yorkshire Moors. His fellow walkers raised the alarm at 7pm when he did not return to his vehicle.

Police and search and rescue teams have been searching with the help of
nine specially trained search and rescue dogs from across the country and the National Police Air Service helicopter.

Mr Gibson is a regular walker, is very fit and knows the area well, however we are growing concerned for his safety and fear he may have got into difficulty or has been injured. He did not have any food with him or overnight equipment. If anyone has seen a man matching his description in the areas around Lastingham, Rosedale and Hutton le Hole, or has given him shelter overnight, we urge you to contact the police.

Locals in Pickering have welcomed the opening of new flood defences in the area. The scheme means there will not be walls and barriers in the town which could have spoiled its looks.

Matthew WIlkinson Credit: ITV Yorkshire

Matthew Wilkinson of the Television House says the 2007 flood devastated his shop and welcomes the new defences, along with Gordon Clitheroe of Beck House Museum who helped run the flood defence campaign.

North Yorkshire Police is appealing for information about a 77-year-old man who was reported missing in Ryedale yesterday afternoon.

Peter William Johnson, from the Cropton area of Pickering, had not been seen by neighbours for a couple of days. His family say he is in an increasingly confused state. Due to his age and for medical reasons, Mr Johnson's disappearance is being treated as high-risk by the police.

A full search involving specialist officers, search and rescue and a police helicopter is ongoing.

Anyone with information or possible sightings of Mr Johnson in the Pickering or surrounding areas, should contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 1, and pass details to the Force Control Room.

A woman and two children are in hospital after their car dropped 150ft down an embankment in North Yorkshire. The 57-year-old woman from Coventry is in a critical condition after the accident just before 5pm yesterday on the A169 at Saltergate Bank near Pickering.